Huw Richards pays tribute to Gary Speed after his deathEven discounting for the inevitable reaction when someone dies young and suddenly, there was something different and genuine about the tributes to Gary Speed. Along with shock and disbelief was simple bafflement. Why? Maybe the inquest, which reopens on January 30, will provide some answers. His case appears to differ from other sportsmen’s self-inflicted deaths.
Ron Hamilton asks where next for Darlington, as they endure another woeful seasonSupporting Darlington has long had a certain Beckettian quality – an unceasing bleakness punctuated by bursts of farcical tragicomedy. Even in the aftermath of May’s FA Trophy victory, the joy of a winner in the 120th minute at Wembley soon gave way to cynical muttering about how long it would be before things went wrong. Less than six months later the club’s future is, once again, hanging in the balance.
After their first leg play-off win, Lee Daly reflects on Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualification campaignDespite the Republic of Ireland scoring four goals in their away victory against Estonia in the first leg of their Euro 2012 play-off, the most ambitious Irish performance of the night was from fan Conor Cunningham. He managed to sneak past security into the stadium and make it onto the pitch, disguised in an Estonian team tracksuit top. Cunningham sat in the home team dugout and celebrated with the Irish players after their victory. He became an overnight media sensation and made several appearances on radio explaining he was as surprised as anyone that he wasn’t found out until after the final whistle.
As Huddersfield’s unbeaten record comes to an end, Steve Wilson looks ahead to the second half of the seasonOn Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club, Neil Clement had only enough time for one leading question to Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark about the club’s unbeaten run in the league that stretched back to December 28 last year. “Is it actually a distraction you could do without?” he probed. A mixture of confusion and mild disdain coloured Clark’s response. “No,” he said, not unreasonably. “If it carries on for the rest of the season, I’m pretty sure we’ll go up.”
Andy Ollerenshaw tells the story of Enfield Town’s new stadiumAt the turn of the millennium, fans of Enfield FC saw their beloved football ground bulldozed. But what has happened in the subsequent decade makes for a heartening tale. Formed in 1893, Enfield had a rich and successful history. They played their home games at Southbury Road, an ageing but well-loved 1930s ground, considered by many to be an iconic non-League venue. The sale of Southbury Road in 1999 by Tony Lazarou, who owned the club at the time, initiated a cycle of extraordinary events. Lazarou attempted to rehouse the club at Cheshunt but the move fell through, so for two years the club suffered a nomadic existence, playing at various venues outside the London Borough of Enfield. Fan resentment had already started to grow before the sale of the ground, but the sight of the bulldozers moving into Southbury Road was the final straw for many.